Your sciatic nerves start above each buttock and run down the backs of your legs. When your sciatic nerve gets pinched or compressed, you can experience pain, most often in one of your buttocks, which is known as sciatica. When you first experience sciatic pain, bed rest is OK while the pain is severe for the first day or two. But as soon you are able, performing specific stretches can help relieve your sciatic pain and improve your condition.
Step 1
Stretch your hamstring muscles. Lie on your back with your legs flat on the floor. Lift your affected leg up off the floor, holding behind your thigh with your hands and working to straighten the leg so the bottom of your foot reaches toward the ceiling. Hold for 10 seconds at first, working toward holding the position for 30 seconds.
Step 2
Stretch your piriformis muscle to relieve sciatic pain due to piriformis syndrome, a condition in which your piriformis muscles irritate your sciatic nerve. Lie flat on your back with your legs on the ground. Lift your injured leg and place the foot on that leg on the floor on the other side of your opposite knee. Pull your bent knee down toward the ground, on top of your straight leg, until you feel a stretch. Hold for 30 seconds, then release and repeat twice more.
Step 3
Perform a gentle back bend designed to relieve sciatic pain caused by a herniated disc. Lie flat on your stomach and support your body with your elbows, placing your forearms against the floor to hold your body in a mild back bend position. Hold this pose for 30 seconds and repeat 10 times.
Step 4
Stretch your spine to relieve sciatic pain caused by spinal stenosis. Lie flat on your back and hug both of your knees into your chest with your arms. Hold for 30 seconds, then release and repeat three to five more times.
Tips and Warnings
- Focus on building your core strength and stretching your hamstrings to relieve and prevent sciatic pain.
- Avoid straight-legged forward bends, which can aggravate your sciatic pain. Always talk to your doctor before staring any new exercise routine, especially if you have a chronic back condition.
References
- "Yoga Journal"; Coping With Sciatica; Sarah Powers
- Spine-Health; Hamstring Stretching Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief; Ron S. Miller; June 2010
- Spine-Health; Sciatica Exercises for Sciatica Pain Relief; Ron S. Miller; June 2010
- Spine-Health; Exercise for Sciatic Pain from Piriformis Syndrome; Ron S. Miller; June 2010
- Spine-Health; Exercise for Sciatica from a Herniated Disc; Ron S. Miller; June 2010
- Spine-Health; Exercise for Sciatica from Spinal Stenosis; Ron S. Miller; June 2010
